Duke Center for Health Informatics: Understanding Impacts and Approaches to Mitigate Extreme Heat

Seminar Abstract Historic legislation with the Infrastructure and Jobs Act, the CHIPS Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act meant 2022 was a landmark year for climate policy. With this foundation, what lies ahead? Director of the Heat Policy Innovation Hub from Duke University's Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability, Dr. Ashley Ward, will talk about the state of climate policy, challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, and what this extreme heat season might mean for both. Instructors Biosketch Dr. Ashley Ward is a climate-health and resilience professional. Her career has focused on engaging communities to identify and address issues related to climate change, and helping communities develop long-term, sustainable strategies relevant to their community needs. Her previous work with NOAA's Carolinas RISA team connected rural and urban communities and policy-decision makers with relevant climate and health data, particularly related to vulnerabilities and impacts. Engagement with communities across the Carolinas revealed a knowledge and access gap in climate data, wherein many communities did not have the necessary data and expertise to inform decision-making, planning, and preparedness. Ashley has since continued to bridge the gap between science, data, policy, and community as the Director of the Heat Policy Innovation Hub at Duke's Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability. In this role, she works with communities, public agencies, and policymakers to create and inform effective policy solutions to difficult environmental challenges like extreme heat. In addition to work on the health impacts of climate extremes, Ashley has worked with the Water Policy Program, helping public agencies modernize their water data infrastructure to better manage water resources. On this team, Ashley leads stakeholder and policy engagement, pilot programs, and the development of the Technology Adoption Program (TAP) designed to guide public agencies through the organizational and behavioral changes needed to modernize their water data infrastructure. Zoom Meeting link: https://duke.zoom.us/j/92005527024?pwd=azFIZmlNdVJiOVVjN0djNWRiT0wzdz09 Meeting number (access code) 920 0552 7024, Meeting password: 128631